


Darkness

by bansheequeen (queenbanshee), xtremeroswellian



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, F/M, Horrible wedding receptions, Possession, So much angst, Temporary Character Death, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24122383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbanshee/pseuds/bansheequeen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: "We'll talk when I get there. I'll pack up what we need for the wedding and I'll meet you at the Clocktower." She told him, it was only a couple of days until the wedding anyway, there was no sense in him coming back to Star City only to leave again."Chloe." His voice caught for a moment and he forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I won't be here."She stilled at that and held her breath, "what do you mean?""There's something that I have to do. I don't...I don't know if I'll make it back for the wedding or not."
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Lois Lane, Oliver Queen/Chloe Sullivan
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic picks up right after Dominion and there might be spoilers for the rest of the season but mostly it was just our own speculations.

  


Oliver wasn't going to take any chances.

Instead of calling his pilot, he paid for a ticket on a regular flight--with cash of course. As he waited in the airport, he stared down at his cell phone, his chest tight at the unread texts, and at number of voicemails.

Three weeks. He'd been gone for three weeks in the _Phantom Zone_. And while he knew that both Tess and Lois had been talking to Chloe, he hadn't called her. He hadn't even told her he was leaving--at least not until he was already on his jet ready to head to Metropolis. And then he'd just gotten her voicemail, telling her he'd be back soon.

She had to be worried sick.

_But she didn't come looking for you, did she?_ He shut his eyes against the little voice in his mind. _Didn't even care enough to come and wait with her cousin to see if her husband would come back._

His eyes narrowed. _She was working on things from her end. Just because she didn't come doesn't mean she stopped caring._

_Sure thing, Killer. Whatever makes you feel better._

Oliver swallowed hard, rising to his feet and beginning to pace the floor, raking a hand through his hair and ignoring the curious and surprised stares of people around him. _Probably all shocked to see the Green Arrow flying among the citizens that are so far beneath you._

_Shut up_ , he ordered silently, flipping his phone open and dialing the familiar number, waiting.

Chloe _had _been worried sick and she had done very little in the past three weeks that didn't involve researching ways to bring him back, including hacking Tess' new database. She had known he was going to Metropolis since he called, but with a little bit of research, she had found out Tess had been the one to call him and he obviously had known all along how dangerous it was since he hadn't told her about it until he was halfway there and she would never make it there fast enough to stop him.__

__When his name flashed across the screen of her phone, she reached for it instantly, not even letting it ring once before answering, "Oliver?"_ _

__He held his breath for a moment, shutting his eyes. "Hey," he said quietly, moving farther away from everyone in case someone was a little too curious for their own good._ _

__Her chest tightened and she let out a breath, standing up, "thank God you're back," she murmured, wrapping an arm around herself, "are you still in Metropolis?"_ _

__"Yeah, I am." _For now anyway_. He swallowed hard, lowering his voice when he spoke again. "I'm sorry."_ _

__"Don't be, we'll talk when I get there. I'll pack up what we need for the wedding and I'll meet you at the Clocktower." She told him, it was only a couple of days until the wedding anyway, there was no sense in him coming back to Star City only to leave again._ _

__"Chloe." His voice caught for a moment and he forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I won't be here."_ _

__She stilled at that and held her breath, "what do you mean?"_ _

__"There's something that I have to do. I don't...I don't know if I'll make it back for the wedding or not."_ _

__Chloe let her breath out slowly and closed her eyes, her chest tightening, she'd known something wasn't right from the first word he spoke, but she had been trying to ignore her instincts, "what are you doing? What's going on, Oliver?" She asked, her voice tighter than before._ _

__He was silent for a moment. "Looking for something that according to Hawkman...will help stop Darkseid and the darkness," he admitted. "I put the pieces together from my parents' Veritas journals. They were the missing link." Even now, he glanced over to his carry on bag where the journals were stored safely inside. He hadn't left them behind because he knew Chloe well enough to know that she would figure out the same thing that he had._ _

__She frowned at that. Oliver had never been one to drown himself in anything that had to do with Kryptonians or Kandorians if he had the option not to. He'd rather fight with the group and let Clark handle most of it. "If you found a way to stop it, we can all help you. _I_ can help you find it. Whatever it is."_ _

__"I already know what it is, and where it is. I just have to get there. With any luck I'll be back before our other favorite duo is ready to take their vows." He tried to keep his voice light._ _

__"Why are you going by yourself?" She asked, her voice blank. She knew there was something else to it and she saw right through his tone._ _

__Oliver licked his dry lips, wishing he had something to drink. _Like whiskey._ He shut his eyes as the memory of their first night together washed over him. The Watchtower. The pretty green shirt she'd been wearing. The way her skin had felt beneath his hands. He wondered if it would ever be safe enough for him to touch her again. His chest tightened at the thought. _Focus_ , he ordered himself._ _

__"Well, Clark and Lois are doing all the last minute wedding prep," he told her. "The guys aren't available." Not that he'd know. He hadn't attempted to contact them. The only one besides Chloe he _had_ contacted was Tess, and even though she'd agreed not to ask questions, he had a feeling she knew what was going on. _The same way your wife probably knows what's going on, dumbass_._ _

__Her jaw clenched and she did her best to keep her voice neutral, "I'm available, Oliver."_ _

__It didn't take a genius to figure out she was angry--but beneath the anger was hurt, and his stomach clenched. He'd never wanted to be someone that hurt her in any way. All of the other men in her life had done just that--time and again. Clark, Lex, Jimmy, Davis. Even her own father had hurt her when he'd moved across the country and made little effort to stay in touch. God, he hated himself. He was no better than any of them. She deserved so much better--she had to know that. "It's dangerous. There's a lot of climbing and..." His response even sounded ridiculous and insulting to him. Chloe was no fragile flower. The training she'd undergone while she was working with the Suicide Squad had been intense. There was little doubt in his mind she could handle the physical exertion he was facing soon._ _

__She took a deep breath and pulled the phone away for just as a second before pulling it back to her ear, "stop lying to me." Her stomach was clenched as tightly as her jaw. This was bad, whatever it was. And she had some idea of what it could be, but she didn't want to think about it. Not yet._ _

__"...and _I'm_ dangerous," he finished quietly._ _

__Chloe closed her eyes at his words and let her head drop forward, a tear running down her cheek and she remained quiet for a long moment. "You're infected," she said finally._ _

__"Yes," he whispered. "I am."_ _

__She felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach, but she had to pull herself together. "Let me help you, Oliver."_ _

__"You can't." His words were soft. "According to Clark, there is no cure, but this thing that I'm looking for...I have to believe it might work." Because if it didn't, there was only one other option that he could see. And he couldn't take that route without trying, at least. For _her_._ _

__"Ollie," she took a deep breath, her own voice becoming softer than before, "I've felt it. When it tried to take me. I know how strong it is, I can help you fight it."_ _

__Oliver shut his eyes, ignoring the part of him that wanted to give in. To agree. To let her help him fight the darkness that was lingering inside him, waiting. Waiting to turn him into a homicidal machine with no feelings, no thoughts. Just walking _death._ And that's why he _couldn't_ go to her. He had to keep her as far away from him as possible. "No," he whispered._ _

__"You won't hurt me," she told him, "you're stronger than it, you know you won't let it make you hurt me." She needed him to believe as much, because she needed to make sure he had control over it. "Let me help you. Please."_ _

__"Maybe," he murmured. "Maybe for awhile I could fight it. But there's always been a dark part of me that I can't get rid of. I can run. I can try to deny it, but eventually it _will_ win. And I can't take that risk with you. With anyone that I care about. Not unless I can get rid of it." He held his breath for a moment._ _

__"No." She said sharply, "you can't think like that. Oliver you _need_ to believe you're in control. You need to _feel_ like you're in control and you can't let it tell you otherwise."_ _

__His head was beginning to throb with a dull ache and he sniffed a little. "I'm going to do everything I can to get rid of it so I can come back to you. You have to know that."_ _

__Chloe let out her breath, closing her eyes for a moment, "I do. I know you can fight it." She had to do her best to reassure him, not doubt him. "I need you to. You're strong, Ollie, so much stronger than it."_ _

__"I love you," he whispered. "I love you more than I've ever loved another person. More than I even thought I _could_ love someone. You made me a better person. You make me want to _be_ a better person, someone that really deserves you." Distantly he heard his flight being announced. "You've made my life better in so many ways, I don't think you even realize."_ _

__Her face crumbled at his words and she tried her best not to cry, but sniffed quietly despite her best effort, "I love you too," she told him quietly, "and you made me so much better, Ollie. You made me believe I _could_ be happy with someone else, and I am." Her voice cracked slightly. "I'm the happiest I've been my whole life because of _you_." She knew she didn't tell him that nearly as often as she should, "because you believed in me, you believed in _us_ and you never gave up. And I'm never giving up on you either. You know that, don't you?"_ _

__His chest tightened with every word she spoke. "I know. I know. I..." He swallowed hard. "I hope I'll see you at the wedding. I have to go now."_ _

__"Ollie, wait!" She called, her heart beating fast against her chest, "call me. I won't trace the calls, I promise." She took a deep breath, "I know you can fight this on your own, but I need to talk to you at least. I need to know you're okay."_ _

__Oliver hesitated a moment. "All right. I'll call when I can. When I know for sure if..." _If I'm going to be okay.__ _

__"No ifs." She said firmly, "it will work." She needed him to believe it, "you'll be fine. You'll come home and we'll be fine. We always are."_ _

__He drew in a breath. "Yeah. I'll call you when it works." He looked over his shoulder as people began to head toward the security checkpoints so they could board the flight. "I love you."_ _

__"I love you." She told him, taking a deep breath, "and I believe in you."_ _

__"That's why I'm still fighting," he whispered._ _

__"Don't ever forget it." She said quietly, her eyes tearing up once more._ _

__"I won't. I'll uh--I'll call you soon, okay?" His voice was thick with emotion._ _

__"I'll talk to you soon." She told him as firmly as she could, "I love you." She said again._ _

__"I love you," he echoed, swallowing hard, then pulling the phone away from his ear a moment later, staring at it for a moment and then hanging up._ _

__Chloe kept the phone to her ear until the background noise disappeared then hung up too. Her chest painfully tight as tears ran down her face. She knew she had to have faith in him, she had to believe he _could_ fight this and fight it on his own, but that felt too much like goodbye._ _


	2. Chapter 2

  


Chloe took a deep breath as Oliver's pilot helped her carry all the bags she'd packed into a cab. He had already made an appointment for the jet today, so she figured it was going to be easier to just use it. She checked her phone as soon as she got on the taxi and the driver started making his way to the Clocktower, where she was supposed to meet her cousin.

It had been over twenty-four hours since she'd heard from Oliver, but she refused to believe anything had gone wrong. She'd been checking her phone every five seconds or so, but nothing so far. She hadn't told anyone about what was going on, or even about how she didn't know if he would make it there for the wedding. She knew it was selfish of her; Oliver was, after all, best man, but she couldn't say it out loud and she couldn't deal with the questions Clark and her cousin would undoubtedly ask. She would figure things out herself if he couldn't be there on time.

After checking her voicemail and text messages a couple of times, she took a deep breath and called her cousin. It was the night before the wedding and she was supposed to be spending the night at the Clocktower with her, while Clark and Oliver were supposed to be spending the night at the new apartment. Which meant she had to tell them Ollie was caught up in something and also had to pull herself together well enough to fool her cousin, which she knew wasn't going to be easy, but she refused to upset her the night before her big day.

"Hey! Are you in Metropolis?" Lois asked, excitement in her voice as she answered her telephone.

She had to pull the phone away so she could take a deep breath before answering, "hey, yeah, just landed. I'm on my way to the Clocktower."

Lois paused. "Are you okay? You sound...strange."

Damnit. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, trying to sound more cheerful, "Ollie... isn't going to make it tonight, though. He had some business to take care of."

"The night before the wedding?" She frowned. "What kind of business?"

"Just... boring Queen Industries stuff. It came up last minute, he's really sorry." She hated lying to her cousin, but she had no choice.

"But he'll be here bright and early for tomorrow, right?" She raised her eyebrows.

"That's the plan," she told her, trying harder this time, "don't worry, Lo. Everything will be fine tomorrow."

"Okay, good. Because we don't have a back-up best man," she joked.

"You won't need one," she told her, her chest tightening. "I'm getting close, so, I'll see you at the Clocktower soon?"

"Yeah, I've just gotta grab my bag and I'll head over. I'll see you in a few."

Chloe winced. She'd been hoping for a little more time on her own, "see you soon."

Lois smiled, glad to have her cousin back in town even if it was just for a couple days. She hung up the phone.

Sighing softly, Chloe hung up too then checked her phone once more and sighed softly as she leaned back against the seat. She just had to make it through the next twenty-four hours. After that, she was going after him.

* * *

Lois made her way over to the penthouse within a half hour of Chloe's phone call, her eyes closed as the elevator stood still at the top floor. She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, opening her eyes and making her way inside. "Chlo? I'm here," she called, setting her bag down on the floor and glancing around the familiar apartment.

Chloe took a deep breath and looked at her reflection for a moment then stepped out of the main bedroom, "in here," she called, forcing a smile upon her lips, "I was just hanging everything to make sure it looks good for tomorrow."

She headed down the hall, smiling and then wrapping her arms around her favorite cousin wordlessly.

She closed her eyes instantly and forced herself not to hug Lois as tightly as she wanted to. If she did, she'd know something was wrong.

"Oh, it's good to have you back," Lois whispered, smiling softly.

"It's really good to see you too," she whispered back, forcing herself to pull away and smile up at Lois, "I do want you to sleep at a decent time tonight."

Lois paused, gazing at her cousin intently and cocking her head to the side. "Something's wrong."

Chloe did her best not to sigh, "nothing is wrong," she lied, arching her eyebrows and doing her best to smile, "everything is fine and everything will be fine tomorrow."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're talking to one of the best liars on the planet. Now spill."

This time, she did sigh. "Ollie isn't taking care of Queen Industries business, it's... Arrow business. He did tell me he'd be back by tomorrow though, so I just didn't want you to worry for no reason." And that was as much as she was willing to share.

She frowned a little. "Well, does he need help? Because I can call Clark and--"

"No." She said firmly and shook her head, "no. He is taking care of it on his own."

Her frown deepened and she searched Chloe's eyes. "You're sure?"

"Yes," she told her, holding her cousin's gaze otherwise she'd know for sure she was lying, "don't you think I'd be out there with him if it was dangerous?"

Lois sighed softly. "Unless he pulled a Clark Kent and didn't tell you he was going."

"He did tell me," she said sincerely, looking up at her cousin, "just trust me, okay? You have nothing to worry about." Even as she told Lois that, her stomach turned.

"I'm not worried about him missing the wedding," she assured her. "I'm just worried about you and Oliver."

Chloe's chest tightened at that and she looked at her cousin for a moment then shook her head, "why are you worried about us?"

"Because I can see the fear in your eyes. It's the same fear I saw in my own every day when I looked in the mirror for the three weeks that Clark was missing in the Phantom Zone," Lois said quietly.

She paused at that and let out her breath, looking down then trying for a smile when she looked at her cousin again, "I just worry about him, and I know he's strong and that he'll be fine, but I can't help it," she shook her head a little, "but I don't want you to worry about anything else. You're getting married tomorrow and you need to focus on that, okay? Ollie and I will be fine."

Lois sighed softly, nodding. "I know you will. Both of you." She wrapped her arm around Chloe's shoulders and led her back toward the living room.

Chloe wrapped her arm around Lois' back, reaching for her back pocket to make sure her phone was still there and stopping herself from checking on it, "so what do you want to do tonight?"

"Well, I do need to paint my fingernails and toenails," Lois admitted. "And I may have brought over those great facial scrubs that Mrs. K sent me..."

She arched her eyebrows at that and nodded, "sounds good, there's plenty of alcohol, although I don't know if too much of it is a good idea considering how miserable you get when you're hungover," she told her, doing her best to lighten up, "and there are plenty of movies to pick from too."

She glanced at Chloe sideways, leading her over to the sofa. "I'm thinking Kill Bill." She raised her eyebrows a little.

"Good choice," she nodded, knowing Lois would never have picked a romantic comedy, but glad to have been able to distract her from the alcohol so easily.

"Besides, the last time I drank, I wound up losing my engagement ring and I don't have time tomorrow to spend looking for it," Lois said with a smirk.

"Right," she agreed, letting go of her cousin and making her way over to the DVD cabinet to start looking for the movies. "Did you eat yet?"

"No, I was thinking we could order pizza," she suggested.

Chloe took a deep breath and nodded slightly, "yeah, I'll order it as soon as I find the movies."

Lois watched her for a moment. "It's going to be okay, Chloe. It's Ollie."

She glanced over her shoulder to her cousin and nodded a little, taking a deep breath as she turned to face the DVDs again, "I know. I just need to distract myself for tonight." She told her, keeping her voice as light as she could. She knew she wasn't going to be able to get her mind off him.

She smiled, but it was sad and faint. "Got it."

Chloe pulled out both of the DVDs once she found it and handed it to her cousin, "I'll go order the pizza if you wanna take care of that," she said, smiling at her as much as she could.

"Aye aye, Skipper," Lois agreed with a small smile, rising to her feet and moving toward the DVD player.

She made her way into the kitchen and quickly pulled her phone from her pocket, her heart sinking when she saw no missed calls or voice mails. With a deep breath, she reached for the landline and placed the order. She didn't want to be on her phone, just in case.

Lois slid the DVD into the machine and settled back onto the sofa once more, glancing toward the kitchen and then pulling the blanket off the back of the couch as Chloe stepped back into the room once more. "Come on," she said, holding up one end of the blanket after draping part of it around her shoulders.

Chloe's face softened a little and she smiled at her cousin, nodding slightly then walking over to the couch and sitting down next to Lois and getting under the blanket like they used to when they were kids, her phone still firmly in hand, "should be here in about thirty minutes," she told her.

"Cool." She draped the blanket around Chloe's shoulders and wrapped her arm around her cousin, resting her head against Chloe's.

She leaned her head against Lois' shoulder and sighed softly, keeping her eyes on the tv even as they teared up slightly. Wishing she could tell Lois more, at least a part of what really was happening, but this wasn't about her, it was about her cousin and she already felt bad about her and Ollie ending up married on her bachelor/bachelorette party and taking that night from them. This would have to wait, there wasn't anything they could change anyway and at least she had her company for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

  


Lois was having a hard time concentrating on getting ready for the ceremony because she was concentrating on how nervous her cousin was. Her face was paler than usual, her hands actually trembling a little as she fastened the necklace around Lois' neck. Turning, she reached out and covered Chloe's hand with her own, sliding her fingers through hers. "Maybe we should postpone," she said softly.

Chloe blinked and looked up at Lois, shaking her head as she took a deep breath, "absolutely not." She had been trying hard to pull herself together but the closer they got to the wedding, the harder it got. "If by the time we get to the church, he's still not there, I'll call him."

"Chloe, are you sure?" she whispered, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm sure," she told her. She was already dressed too, hair and make up done, "if he can't make it, I'll walk in with Bart or Arthur or Victor." She told her. "Ollie will hate himself enough as is for missing it, he would never forgive himself if you canceled it."

Lois reached up and touched her cheek gently. "Okay. Well, I think we're almost ready. Why don't you give him a call?"

"I'll worry about him once I hand you over to Mrs. Kent." She told her, smiling softly, "I still need to find your shoes."

"If you're sure..." She glanced around and then pointed to the shoes on the floor by the table. "There they are."

Chloe took a deep breath and nodded, leaning down, her stomach turning as she did but she took a deep breath and picked up the shoes, lifting Lois' dress slightly, "okay, right foot."

"I feel like Cinderella," Lois joked, lifting her gown and holding up her foot.

"That's the point of today," she said, picking up her other shoe and sliding Lois' foot in it before standing up, "okay," she took another deep breath, "my shoes are in the master bedroom so I'll grab that and we'll get going."

"Sounds good." She watched her cousin head down the hallway and held her breath. "Ollie, if you're not there by the time we get there and you break my cousin's heart, you're going to have one of these shoes permanently up your ass."

Chloe took a deep breath and rubbed her hands over her face, carefully not to mess up her make up. She checked on her phone one more time as she walked into the bathroom, reaching for a towel, wetting it and rubbing it against the back of her neck, hoping it would help her calm down slightly. After a moment she made her way out of the bathroom and into the closet, reaching for the tux Ollie should be wearing and pulling the small box with the rings from inside of one of the pockets, sliding it into her purse then pulling her shoes on.

"Okay," she called for Lois as she made her way back out, smiling, "ready?"

"I'm ready," Lois said, feeling a burst of excitement even as she still felt the worry for Chloe and Oliver. "Let's do this."

She smiled up at Lois then wrapped her arms around her tightly, "you look absolutely amazing." She said sincerely.

Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears even as she smiled, hugging Chloe back just as tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "For being here. For...everything."

"I would never not be with you," she said quietly, pulling back and taking Lois' hand and squeezing it, "come on, lets get you married."

Lois nodded, gripping her hand in return. She just hoped that _Chloe's_ husband showed up, too.

* * *

They got to the church in about twenty minutes, Chloe's heart was racing as she left Lois with Mrs. Kent. Clark was already standing up front, she knew she had to go in and hand the rings to one of the boys, but she had to call him. She had to check in on him, to make sure he was _alive_ or she didn't know how she was going to make it through the ceremony without freaking out.

She pushed the heavy doors open and made her way outside, her chest tight, her stomach incredibly upset as it constantly was these days. She pulled up his name on her phone and took a deep breath before calling him, her hands shaking slightly and her eyes tearing up as she pressed the phone up to her ear.

"Chloe." His voice was quiet, and he released the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, moving toward her.

She stilled, at first thinking he'd answered the phone, but when it rang again, she turned around, her vision blurring instantly as her eyes fell on him, she pulled the phone from her ear and started toward him, her heart beating fast as she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck as soon as she was close enough.

He wound his arms around her instantly, hugging her close to him and burying his face into her neck. "I'm so sorry. I lost my phone," he whispered.

Chloe shook her head, tears running down her cheek as she held on to him tightly, "you're here," she murmured, her voice breaking, "I knew you'd make it."

"I love you," Oliver whispered, tightening his arms around her even more. "I'm sorry I put you through that."

She sniffed and shook her head, pulling her head back to look at him as she lifted a hand to cup the back of his head, "did it work?"

A soft smile touched his mouth and he nodded a little before dipping his head and kissing her softly on the mouth.

Chloe let out her breath and kissed him back, but not softly. She kissed him deeply, hungrily, desperately. After that phone call she'd been so sure she'd never see him again.

"I missed you, too," he whispered against her mouth a moment later, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you," she whispered, brushing her nose against his and smiling, "I knew you could do it."

"You believed in me," he murmured, cupping her cheek in his hand and kissing her once more. "Of course I could."

She kissed him back, tightening her hold on him and nodding slightly, "I have something I need to tell you," she said, smiling softly, "but we need to get Lois and Clark married first."

"Right." He pulled away reluctantly, his eyes widening. "Oh crap. My tux is back at the clocktower."

Chloe smiled a little more and shook her head, "Lois decided we should bring it over, just in case," she reached in her purse, "and I have the rings in here."

Oliver let out a breath, nodding as he relaxed. "Guess I better go change." He kissed her quickly, taking the rings from her.

"Yeah," she nodded, holding on to his hand as they started back inside the church, "I'll show you where it is and go let the others know you're here."

"Do they know?" he whispered, remembering what Clark said about locking up anyone who was infected, linking his fingers with hers.

"No," she told him, tightening her grip on his hand. "I told Lois you were working on something Arrow-related but not what it was." She took a deep breath as they walked inside, "are you feeling okay?" She would want details after the ceremony, of course but for now, making sure he was okay was enough.

"I feel fine," he assured her. Other than the throbbing pain in his right side where he'd fallen on the mace while fighting with Clark, anyway.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and nodded slightly, leading him down a hallway and pausing by an empty room, "your tux is in here," she said, pointing at it as it hung from a doorless wardrobe in the corner of the room, but not letting go of his hand. She really didn't want to let him out of her sight.

"All right." He turned to face her once more. "I'll just get changed and be out in a couple minutes." Fortunately for him he'd had plenty of practice getting dressed up in very short amounts of time. "I love you."

"I love you too," she told him, squeezing his hand. "I'll be in there, with Lois and Mrs. Kent," she told him, nodding at the closed door further down the hall. "Let me know when you're done?"

"Will do," he promised, his smile soft as he met her eyes. "See you in a couple minutes."

With a deep breath, she nodded a little then reluctantly let got of his hand, looking at him for just a moment longer before starting toward the other room.

He watched her go, then quietly shut the door and began to change clothes, wincing as he looked down at the stitches that were mostly popped and bleeding. He looked at the tuxedo and sighed softly. At least the blood wouldn't show up on the black coat.

Chloe quickly made her way back to the room, knocking quickly before walking in, her heart beating fast but her entire posture and expression a lot more relaxed, "he's here," she announced, smiling, "he's changing, but he's here."

Lois turned quickly, her eyes widening. "He's here?" she echoed.

"Yes," Chloe told her brightly, smiling at Mrs. Kent then back at Lois.

"I'll go let Clark and the boys know," Martha told him, smiling kindly at Chloe and squeezing her shoulder on her way out of the room.

"Thank God," Lois said, relaxing a little and returning Chloe's smile with one of her own.

"And he's okay," she breathed, smiling up at her.

She exhaled, smile brightening even more. "Then we're good. Everything's okay."

"Everything is how it was supposed to be," she nodded, placing her phone in her purse then leaving it over a chair and turning to her cousin, "are you ready?"

"So ready," she admitted, holding her hand out. "I can't believe this is really happening."

Chloe took her cousin's hand tightly in her and nodded, "Ollie will let us know when he's ready. The General is already waiting for you by the door, I saw him on my way out."

She drew in a breath. "Did he seem nervous?"

"Yeah, but in a good way. Although I might need to keep him away from Ollie during the reception." She said, arching an eyebrow.

A small smile touched her mouth at that. "I think the General did a bit of a 180 about heroes when the Blur saved my life from that explosion in our former residence."

"Yeah, but I'm sure it hasn't changed the way he sees people who delay his daughter's wedding," she smirked.

Lois laughed softly. "Good point. Speaking of delaying my wedding, where the hell is Lucy?"

"With the General," Chloe assured her, smiling up at her, "someone needed to try and calm him down."

"And Lucy's going to do that?" She smirked involuntarily, then shook her head, glancing toward the door when there was a knock.

"Better her than me," she smirked then looked over her shoulder, "unless you're Clark, come in." She called.

The door opened a moment later and Oliver stepped inside, closing it shut behind him. He offered Lois a smile. "You look amazing," he said sincerely, shifting his gaze to Chloe. His expression softened. "And so do you."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat when she saw him and her entire face lit up, she'd been nervous that somehow, he was going to vanish, but there he was. "So do you, and you managed in less than five minutes." He looked tired, thinner. But considering the hell he'd been through, of course he would be.

"Thank you, Mrs. Queen." He winked at her and held out his arm. "Clark said they're getting ready to start."

She grinned softly at him and took his arm but kept her hold on Lois' hand, "come on, it's our job to deliver you to the General."

Lois smiled back at them, letting them lead her out of the room. This was it. She was really getting married.


	4. Chapter 4

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The ceremony had gone smoothly. Lois and Clark both looked incredibly happy, the toasts had gone well and dinner had been delicious. They had just introduced Mr. and Mrs. Kent once again and the dancing had begun. Clark and Lois were the first ones on the floor, followed by Martha and the General and as best man and matron of honor, Chloe and Oliver had followed them.

Chloe was happy everything had gone well, she was exhausted, but she was getting worried about Ollie. He was paler than before and just now, she noticed a pained look on his face, "are you okay?"

He managed a weak, tired smile, wondering if he'd started bleeding again, his head throbbing, as well. He supposed that was just a side effect of losing blood and not sleeping for a couple of days. Or three weeks in Kryptonian time. "Yeah. Just got a little headache," he admitted. "Nothing to worry about."

"You're really pale, Ollie." She frowned, "and you've been through a lot. I'm sure Lois and Clark will understand if we have to leave."

Oliver leaned his forehead against hers. "Just a few more minutes. We didn't really get a reception ourselves," he murmured. "No first dance. I want to enjoy this one."

She took a deep breath and nodded, holding his gaze as she shifted closer and pulled her hands from his arms and placed them on his sides, she was about to wrap her arms around him, but stilled. His jacket was soaked, in fact, he was the only one still wearing his jacket. Slowly, she pulled her hand away from his side and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Is that..." she knew he hadn't spilled anything, it had to be.

He winced a little at the sight of the blood on her hand. "I may have popped some stitches." That she didn't even know he had. "It's not as bad as it looks."

Her jaw set and she stared up at him, taking a deep breath, "as soon as this song is over, we're leaving." There was no room left for discussion.

"Okay," he agreed quietly, wincing as a stabbing pain behind his left eye suddenly made him feel nauseous. "Stop," he whispered, lifting one hand to the side of his head.

Chloe blinked, stilling, she hadn't done anything, but she pulled her hands from him and held on to his arms instead, "Ollie?"

He grimaced, drawing in a shuddering breath as the pain intensified, nearly making him double over with the pain. "Hurts."

"Come here," she said, eyes widened as she guided him back to a table, "I need you to sit down, I'll find Emil."

Oliver didn't argue with her, letting her usher him into the nearest chair where he sat down, resting his head in both hands, pressing them against his temples as his head felt like it was going to explode. And with a moment of sudden clarity, he knew what was happening. "Get out of here," he whispered, his eyes widening. "Get _everyone_ out of here!"

Her eyes widened at that, she stared at him for a full moment, her stomach clenching along with her jaw. "No." She said firmly, leaning down at getting in his face as she held his gaze and reached for his hand again. "Listen to me, Oliver. I'm getting you out of here. You're not hurting anyone, do you hear me?"

He gritted his teeth together as his eyes turned black. "Don't be so sure about _that_ ," he whispered harshly.

"Come on," she tugged on his hand, her heart skipping a beat as she pulled him to stand up, "we're leaving and you need to stay with me." She was going to take care of it herself, she couldn't let him ruin Lois and Clark's night.

A cold smile touched his mouth. "But the party's just starting," he said flatly, pulling his hand away from her and turning his head to focus his sights on Clark. Without waiting for a response, he moved toward the other man, his stride full of purpose.

"Oliver!" She called, holding on to his arm, trying to stop him, but he kept on walking.

"Clark!" Chloe called next, not loud enough to be heard over the music, but when he turned to look at her, she knew he had heard her, "get everyone out," she told her best friend, her eyes meeting his, "now!"

Confused, Clark turned to look to where Oliver was heading toward him, his eyes pitch black. Oh, _no_ , he thought, his stomach tightening. In a split second, he'd taken Lois to the safety of their apartment before speeding back without anyone even noticing he'd gone. Then he quickly moved over and pulled the fire alarm switch.

The alarm went off a second later and the sprinklers came on, sending most people running out of the room, Chloe saw Emil and Tess dragging the General out and saw as all the team members were starting toward them. Her jaw clenched and she kept her grasp on Oliver's arm as tight as she could, trying to focus on stopping him rather than on what this meant.

"What's going on?" AC asked warily as he and Vic approached from one side, Bart and Dinah on the other.

"He's not himself," Chloe told them, her jaw clenched as she kept her eyes on Oliver.

Clark glanced at them, but didn't join them just yet, instead he urged the rest of the people out of the reception area.

"What does _that_ mean?" Dinah asked, frowning. Her eyes widened as she realized his eyes were pitch black.

Chloe took a deep breath and shook her head, "I can take care of it," she told them, "you guys can leave." She knew Oliver would never forgive himself if he managed to snap out of this and he had hurt one of them.

"No, by all means. _Stay_ ," Oliver responded with a smirk, lunging toward AC.

She held on to his arm as tightly as she could, trying to hold him back, but was dragged with him instead. She had absolutely no way to knock him unconscious and even if she did, she wasn't sure it was going to work, "Oliver, listen to me!" She pleaded, her voice firm, "you have to fight it, you're stronger!"

Bart's eyes widened and he stepped forward, "we're so not leaving you with him like this."

He wrapped his hands around AC's throat, tackling him to the ground.

"What the _hell?_ " Vic reached down and grabbed hold of one of Oliver's arms, an angry expression on his face.

Dinah stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Chloe, pulling her away from Oliver.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chloe asked, tugging and shifting as she tried to free herself.

"I'm sorry, Chloe, but he's obviously not safe to be around." She told her, tightening her arms around her.

"Don't you think I _know_ that!?" Chloe snapped, pushing Dinah away, her jaw clenching, "that's why I was telling you to _leave_ in the first place!"

"A little...help here?" AC requested, choking as he tried to pry Oliver's hands from around his throat.

J'onn quickly made his way over, wrapping his arms around Oliver and pulling him off of AC, not the least bit phased by the angry glare that Oliver gave him.

"You might be able to take _me_ down, Martian, but Darkseid won't be so easy," he snapped, struggling to pull away from him.

"J'onn," Chloe gasped, stepping forward, "take us to the Clocktower, I might be able to help him." She told him, taking a deep breath.

"No." Clark said firmly, not looking at Chloe as he made his way to Oliver. "He needs to be locked up. He's been taken by the darkness."

J'onn's eyes narrowed slightly at Chloe, and he cocked his head. "It might work," he murmured.

"There's _no_ cure for this," Clark said, shaking his head.

She held J'onn's gaze and nodded slightly, knowing he was reading her mind. But at Clark's words, she closed her eyes, her jaw clenching, "I'm _not_ going to give up on him so easily, Clark." She said tightly as she turned to look at him. "I can't."

He stared at her. "Chloe..."

Wordlessly, J'onn reached out and picked her up, flying them out of the building.

Chloe held on to J'onn even as she watched Oliver struggle, she knew she was going to need help holding him down long enough.

Clark wasn't ready to give up so easily either, he knew Chloe wasn't thinking straight, how could she? So he had to help her. He ran across the city and got to the Clocktower a few seconds after the three of them.

"Kal-El, you're going to need to go get Dr. Hamilton," J'onn said firmly, carefully setting Chloe down even as Oliver threw up.

She took a deep breath and placed her hand over Oliver's back for a second then vanished from the room, making her way to the master bedroom.

"You can't leave her alone with him." Clark told J'onn.

"I have no intention of leaving her alone with him, Kal-El."

Clark stared at J'onn for a second then vanished once more.

Chloe came back out a moment later, carrying a bag, her face much paler than before but she didn't look nearly as bad as Oliver did. She was glad to see Clark was gone and she dropped the bag to the floor then looked up at J'onn, her eyes wide with a mixture of determination and fear.

Oliver was back to clawing at J'onn's arms, struggling against his hold. "You're all pathetic. Don't you see that the only thing worth having is what he's working for? There is no _hope_ for this planet!"

"No," Chloe said, pulling two tasers from the bag and charging them up as she stepped forward, her stomach turning as she stood directly in front of him and ripped his shirt open, "this _planet_ is worth fighting against things like _you_ for."

He smirked at her, his eyes dark and cold. "Do it. Kill him. He knows you've never really loved him anyway. Gone for three weeks and you couldn't even be bothered to come here and help. He'll be glad he's dead. Better dead than with a cold-hearted _bitch_."

Her jaw clenched and she stared at him, holding up the tasers and pressing them against his chest, tears running down her face as she felt the electricity shoot from the objects in her hands and through him. She knew this was the only way.

She knew he had to die.


	5. Chapter 5

Clark ran into the Clocktower a moment later with Emil and just as he set the Doctor on the floor he stilled, his eyes widening as he stared at the scene in front of him. Chloe was standing with a taser in each hand as she cried and stared down at Oliver, who J'onn was lowering to the ground. He wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing and Clark couldn't hear his heart. He stepped forward, staring at Chloe incredulously.

"You... _killed_ him?" He gasped.

"Move aside," Emil ordered, moving past him and reaching into his bag, kneeling down at Oliver's side.

Chloe ignored Clark and reached for the bag she'd picked the tasers from, holding out a huge syringe toward the doctor as she knelt down on the floor next to Oliver. Her eyes wide, her hands shaking but she knew it was better if he did it. He wouldn't miss his heart.

"You were really prepared," he commented as he took the syringe full of adrenaline from her. Without hesitation he plunged it into Oliver's heart, pushing down on the plunger and injecting him with the full dose.

She held her breath and focused on her husband, picking up his head and setting it on her lap as she looked down at him, "come on, Ollie," she murmured, staring down at him.

Clark remained standing a few feet away, his eyes wide and full of shock and horror.

And then Oliver sat up abruptly, gasping for air.

"Ollie!" Chloe called kneeling behind him the second he sat up, her eyes wide too.

He groaned, looking down at the syringe still sticking out of his chest, confusion flickering over his face. "What the hell happened?" he asked, his voice thick.

Emil pulled the syringe from his chest a moment later then reached to check on his pulse.

"Chloe killed you," Clark told him.

He winced, rubbing his chest where the needle had gone in. "What?" His eyebrows furrowed.

Chloe took a deep breath and glared at Clark then looked up at J'onn, "can you make sure it's gone?" She asked, placing her hands over Ollie's shoulders.

Nodding, J'onn used his powers to listen and look around inside of Oliver's mind, mostly finding confusion and uncertainty inside. "It's him," he told Chloe with certainty.

Clark's eyes narrowed and he x-rayed Oliver at the same time, frowning, "the symbol is gone," he said, confused.

She let out her breath and smiled slightly in relief, shifting and standing so she could see Oliver then leaning down, "you were infected. But it's gone now," she told him, cupping his cheek.

Leaning into her touch involuntarily, he gazed at her. "The last thing I remember is dancing with you," he murmured.

Chloe nodded slightly and swallowed hard, nodding then reaching for his hand to help him up, "I'll explain everything," she promised, "but I think you need some rest."

He winced as he rose to his feet, both his side and his chest aching even as he closed his hand around hers. "That sounds good."

She held on to his hand tightly and nodded a little, then glanced at J'onn and Emil, "thank you," she told them quietly before looking at Clark, "tell Lois I'm sorry."

Oliver's stomach clenched at that, as he wondered exactly what he'd done. If he'd harmed anyone. He felt his chest tighten and he swallowed hard, avoiding Clark's gaze. "Ditto that," he murmured.

"You weren't yourself," Clark said, still looking a little uncertain before he took off at super-speed.

J'onn glanced at Emil. "Why don't we give them some time to talk?" he suggested. "I could use some dinner."

Emil nodded a little, "let me know if you need anything," he told them, smiling a little before heading to the elevator with J'onn.

She nodded slightly at them, "thank you," she said again then pulled her hand from Ollie's and wrapped her arm around him, "come on," she said quietly, "you've been through a lot."

"What did I do?" he whispered, not moving from where he stood in the middle of the living room.

"You didn't hurt anyone," she assured him, looking up at him, "you just had the black eyes and I..." she took a deep breath, "I figured if you died, it would leave your body."

"Oh." He was silent for a moment. "I don't understand," he whispered. "The bow should've worked."

"I don't know what the bow is," she admitted, shaking her head slightly, "but when you got to the church, you told me it had worked and then during the reception, you got dizzy and your head started to hurt then your eyes turned black and it was in control."

He shut his eyes at that, exhaling slowly. "It felt like it worked. I felt different."

"Maybe you made it weaker," she suggested, rubbing her hand over his back gently.

Oliver tried to smile at that, but didn't quite manage it. "Yeah."

"Lay down?" She asked, nudging him slightly toward the bedroom, "you're incredibly pale."

"I need a shower," he murmured.

"Okay," she agreed quietly, keeping her eyes on him. She wanted to ask him exactly what had happened, what he went through, but she didn't want to push him right now.

He swallowed hard, not looking at her. "You're sure it's gone?"

"Clark x-rayed you, the omega symbol is gone," she whispered to him, "Ollie, look at me."

"Don't," he said softly. "Please. I'm just...I need a shower. We can talk after."

Her chest tightened at that and she nodded a little, reluctantly pulling her arm from around him, "okay."

"Thanks," he whispered, managing a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes as he made his way back toward the master bedroom and then the bathroom. He scrubbed his hands over his face as he stripped out of the rest of his clothes and climbed into the shower. He could've killed her. He could've killed them all. He shut his eyes and let the scalding water pound down on him.

Chloe let out a deep breath and rubbed her hands over her face, as much as she wanted to sit by the bathroom door and make sure he didn't go anywhere, she knew she needed a shower too. She was dirty and her hand was still covered in... blood. _Shit_. She should have let Emil take a look at his stitches before he left. But she'd ask Oliver to look at it once he was clean and he had had some time to himself.

To kick himself and blame himself for things he had no control over, no doubt. She sighed deeply and made her way into one of the guest bedroom and then into its bathroom so she could also shower.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later found Oliver dressed once more--this time in sweats and a black t-shirt--seated on the edge of the master bed. He knew he should be going to find Chloe, to start apologizing and trying to explain things, but he couldn't convince himself to stand up. Shutting his eyes, he exhaled slowly, his whole body aching as he laid down, wincing as he lifted his legs on to the mattress and the motion pulled at his side. He opened his eyes once more and stared up at the ceiling blankly.

She hadn't meant to take as long as she had in the shower, but considering the amount of hairspray she'd had to wash out of her hair and on top of that just how warm and comforting the water had been, she had ended up staying there as long as he had. She wrapped a robe around herself, the only thing she had in that bathroom other than the dress she'd been wearing and slowly made her way back to the master bedroom.

Chloe held her breath when she saw him laying there, staring up at the ceiling and her chest tightened. He was back and he was free from that thing, but if she had to guess, he was far from being okay. "Are you hungry?" She asked quietly as she approached the bed hesitantly.

"Not really," he said just as quietly. "Are you?"

Shaking her head, she walked up to the bed. "Mind if I take a look at those stitches you popped?" She asked, cocking her head a little as she looked down at him.

Oliver gazed up at her. "I'm sorry." His voice was barely audible.

Her chest tightened and she sat down next to him, carefully not to brush against his side, "don't do this to yourself, Oliver. You've been through enough in the past month."

"And I've made enough mistakes for a lifetime." He shut his eyes.

"We all have," she told him, her voice firmer, "what happened wasn't your fault."

He was quiet for a moment. "You weren't infected, Chloe," he murmured. "Clark wasn't, Lois wasn't. Hell, not even _Tess_ was infected. But me?" He opened his eyes to look at her. "I was the weak link."

"I've had experience with that sort of thing before, Oliver." She told him tightly, "we're not sure it can infect Clark and I'm fairly sure Lois and Tess weren't exposed to it like we were."

"Maybe," he said quietly.

"You're _not_ weak," she told him firmly, looking down at him and holding his gaze, "you were infected by it, it was talking _through_ you and you didn't hurt anyone. You were holding it back, Oliver, you warned me to run, you told me to get everyone out of there."

"I did?" He held his breath for a moment, shaking his head. "I don't remember."

"You did," she told him, smiling slightly at that.

Oliver pursed his lips, watching her. "When I was in the Phantom Zone with Clark...Zod was there." His voice grew even more quiet.

She cocked her head slightly and frowned, "he was?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He was setting up fights gladiator-style." He paused for a few seconds. "Clark and I fought each other."

"What happened?" She asked, not liking the sound of that at all. Nothing that involved Zod could be good.

"He wanted me to kill him. To be his brother in arms." His jaw tensed a little. "To stay there and rule with him the way Clark never would."

"Why did he want _you_? He always wanted Clark to be with his people when he was here."

Oliver didn't meet her eyes. "Because Clark would never embrace his dark side," he said quietly.

"And he thought you would," Chloe told him, eyes narrowing, "he knew you were infected?"

"Yeah. I don't know how, but he knew." He looked up at the ceiling once more.

"I guess that explains it..." she told him, sighing softly, "what happened then?"

"We fought," he said quietly. "I almost killed him." There was guilt in his voice. "But Zod wanted to finish the job himself. When he got close enough, I grabbed his arm. The crystal thingie was around his neck and Clark grabbed it. And then we were back at Watchtower."

Chloe took a deep breath, "just the two of you, Zod is still in there, right?"

"Yeah. Permanently now I guess. Clark destroyed the crystal." He rubbed his hands over his face.

"Good," she told him quietly then gently touched his shirt but added no pressure to it, "how did this happen?" She asked. She hadn't seen the wound itself yet, but she knew it was there.

"I sorta...fell on a mace," he admitted.

Her eyes widened and she winced, "while you were at the phantom zone?" She asked, reaching for his shirt and lifting it slightly so she could take a look at it.

"Yeah." Oliver shifted a little, wincing. "While Clark and I were battling to the death."

Chloe's stomach clenched at that as she stared down at his wound, it didn't look too deep and it was clean but, "I need to redo the stitches here," she told him, pointing to the bigger cut, "and you really need to cover this, Oliver or it will get infected."

A faint smile touched his mouth. "It'll be just like the old days," he teased, reading the worry on her face and wanting to ease it.

"Yeah, I don't particularly miss _that_ ," she told him, glancing up at him, "turn on your side and I'll grab everything."

"I miss it." He flashed her a grin even as he turned onto his side like she requested. "It was the only time you'd put your hands on me before that night you seduced me at Watchtower."

She stood up and arched her eyebrows at him, "there are so many problems in your statement. First of them is, why would you miss it now that I constantly have my hands on you? And the second major one is _you_ seduced _me_ with your cheap archery tricks and your smooth voice," she pointed out then made her way into the bathroom, grabbing a towel and the first aid kit.

"... _cheap_ archery tricks?" His mouth was agape. "Hardly. And you're the one who did the seducing, Professor, talking about how you hadn't had fun in so long you couldn't remember and wearing that green blouse and tight skirt." Oliver raised his eyebrows. "And maybe _miss_ wasn't the right word. More like...fond memories. _Very_ fond memories..."

"Fond memories?" She cocked her head as she sat back down on the bed, "of you whining and crying while I tried to patch you up?" She teased, glad his mood had improved. She'd missed him so much. Everything about him. His voice, his touch, his smell, his eyes. She missed his presence. And there was a lot she'd still had to tell him, but first, she needed to make sure he was okay.

"Maybe those are _your_ memories," he said, arching an eyebrow. "I remember things a little differently."

"How do you remember it?" She asked, glancing up at him before cleaning the wound once more, just in case. She'd became pretty used to this since she and Oliver got closer.

He smiled a little. "I remember you standing very close, checking me for injuries...your hands were always warm." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I remember thinking how beautiful you were." He paused. "But that's never changed."

Her chest felt warm suddenly, like it usually did when he said those things to her. No one had ever been able to make her feel that way before him, she hadn't even know it was _possible_ to feel that way. But when he told her things like that, she knew he meant every words. With a deep breath, she leaned down and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. "I missed you." She told him quietly, pulling back once again and turning back to his wound.

He held his breath for a moment. "Me too," he whispered.

"Relax," she told him quietly, getting ready to start stitching him up, "and hold still," she said, holding his gaze for a second before looking down.

Oliver closed his eyes, grimacing a little as the needle pierced his skin, and he rested his head on his arm. "I ruined their reception." His voice was quiet.

"You didn't," she told him quietly, glancing at him then focusing on his wound as she finished it up as quickly and carefully as possible. Luckily it wasn't too long, but it did look deep. "The reception was almost over by the time it happened and Clark just set off the alarm. No one noticed anything was happening and more importantly, no one was hurt."

He relaxed as she finished up. "Yeah?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she told him, cleaning the wound once more before covering it with gauze, "as far as everyone knows, it was just a fire alarm malfunction. With your warning, I managed to let Clark know and everyone got out without a problem."

He shut his eyes, nodding and swallowing hard. "Good. That's good."

"Done," she told him quietly, pulling his shirt back down then standing up once more and making her way back to the bathroom to put everything away.

Oliver waited in silence for her to return, and when she did, he patted the bed beside him.

Chloe took a deep breath and watched him for a moment, smiling slightly before walking around the bed and laying down on her side.

He opened his eyes to gaze at her, hesitantly reaching out and resting his hand against her cheek.

She turned on her side so she was facing him and cupped his hand in hers, turning her head slightly and pressing her lips to his palm, "I'm glad you're okay." She murmured.

"I'm just glad I didn't hurt anyone," he said quietly, his chest tightening.

"I knew you wouldn't," she said sincerely, holding his gaze and searching his eyes.

"You have so much faith in me," he murmured. "I don't understand it, Chloe."

"Of course I have faith in you, I _know_ you, Ollie. And I was right, wasn't I? You didn't let it hurt anyone. Maybe you just need to have more faith in yourself," she whispered quietly, shifting closer to him.

Oliver searched her eyes, then reached down and took her hand, pressing it to his lips gently.

"I know it's not easy," she told him quietly, brushing her fingers to his hand, "and to be fair, I think you have more faith in me than I have in myself," she smiled a little and leaned her forehead to his, "which is why we work together so well."

He kissed her softly on the mouth. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she told him quietly, brushing her nose against his, "do you need anything?"

"Just you." He shifted a little closer, wrapping his arm around her.

She wrapped her arm around his upper back, away from his wound and shifted closer too, "I know it's only been three or four days for you," she murmured, "but I really missed sleeping with you," she told him quietly.

"It's felt like a lifetime," he whispered. "And I've missed it, too."

Her expression softened and she nodded a little, "and now it's over."

He exhaled slowly, burying his face against her neck and closing his eyes. "I love you."

Chloe closed her eyes and reached over, turning off the lamp on his side of the bed before hugging him tightly to her, her chest tightening slightly. She really believed she wasn't going to be there with him like this, ever again and she was incredibly grateful that once more, they had made it through. "I love you too," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his head. "And I'm never giving up on you."

"I'll never give up on you, either," he whispered back, even as sleep tugged at him.

She smiled softly, brushing her nose against his ear as her eyes teared up and she held him to her even as she felt him relax in her arms. He was alive, he was okay and he even seemed to be a lot calmer than he'd been earlier. That was more than she could have hoped for. The rest could wait until tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

_Everything was perfect. The twinkling gold lights strung above them as they danced, the soft music that the band was playing in the corner. Her eyes were vibrant, full of life, his arms around her as they moved together, happy to be be together once more._

_He caught movement from the corner of his eye and saw himself standing there with a blank expression. His eyebrows furrowed a little and before he could say anything, the other him had his hands wrapped tightly around her throat._

_"Stop!" he shouted, yanking uselessly at his twin's arms, trying to get him off her, knowing somehow that it was futile. The infection made him stronger physically. Not as strong as Clark, but strong enough to prevent_ him _from doing anything to stop what was happening. He looked around frantically, spotted Clark across the room, dancing with Lois. "CLARK!"_

_The other man didn't even look up. He picked up the knife that had been used to cut the cake and plunged it into his double's heart without hesitation, blood splattering everywhere. All over Chloe's blue dress as she fell to the floor, her eyes wide and lifeless._

_"No," he whispered, kneeling down beside her, blood all over him. "Chloe, wake up!" He pressed his ear to her chest. There was no heartbeat. No breathing sounds._

_No no no--_

He sat up, gasping for air, his eyes wide and frightened as he found her side of the bed empty. "Chloe!"

Chloe had just been washing her face in the guest bathroom when she thought she heard something, frowning, she looked up and waited to see if she had or if it was her imagination.

He was out of bed quickly, flipping on the lights, ignoring the pain throbbing in his side as he moved. "Chloe?"

She'd definitely heard him this time. Cocking her head, she stepped out of the bathroom and out of the bedroom, "Ollie?" She frowned.

Relief flooded him as he heard her voice, even as he made his way out of the bedroom and into hallway, his eyes wide, and his face paler than usual.

Her face was about as pale as his, but she arched her eyebrows when she saw him, "what's wrong?" She asked, walking up to him.

"You're here," he murmured, sliding his arms around her in a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair.

"I'm here," she echoed, wrapping her arms around him, but not as tightly so she wouldn't hurt his side.

He shuddered involuntarily, pressing a kiss to her shoulder and shutting his eyes.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"You were gone," he whispered. "We were at the reception and..." His voice was strained and he shook his head a little.

"Shh," she said quietly, "I was just in the other room, I didn't want to wake you," she told him quietly, kissing his cheek, "everything is fine, Ollie."

"I couldn't stop." He pulled back to look at her.

"But you did," she told him, looking up at him, "you didn't hurt anyone."

Oliver swallowed hard, forcing himself to take a deep breath. "Right," he whispered.

Chloe held his gaze and smiled slightly, "it was just a nightmare, and considering everything you've been through, it's understandable that you'd have one."

Nodding a little, he exhaled slowly. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"Just woke up," she told him, smiling softly.

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Oh."

"Are you okay?" She asked, glancing down at his side, "do you wanna get back to bed?"

"Are you still tired?" he asked quietly, lifting a hand to her cheek.

Chloe leaned into his touch and took a deep breath, "actually..." she looked down, "there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He searched her eyes, his stomach knotted. "What is it?"

"There's really no way to ease you into this," she said quietly, swallowing hard then looking at him again as she tried to find the words, or a better choice of words than what she was getting anyway, but when she didn't, she just took a deep breath and held his gaze, "I'm pregnant."

It was the first time she spoke the words out loud and even as she did, her stomach knotted and her heart skipped a beat.

Oliver stared at her, his eyes a little wider than before. "Pregnant?" he echoed.

She pursed her lips together and nodded, she had had over two weeks to get used to it, but she was still nervous. "I found out about a week after you left. And I know we didn't talk about this or anything but..."  
He blinked a few times, still looking shell-shocked. "Wow," he murmured.

"Yeah..." she breathed, looking down and feeling even more nervous at his lack of response.

He brushed his thumb lightly over her cheek before stepping closer to her, hesitantly reaching out with his other hand and resting it against her flat stomach silently.

Chloe sucked in a breath and looked down at his hand then back up at him, her heart beating fast.

A soft smile touched his mouth and he looked up, meeting her eyes. "Wow," he whispered.

She cocked her head a little and watched him closely, taking a deep breath, "yeah?"

"Definitely," he said, nodding and holding his breath as he gazed at her. "For you too, right?"

"Yeah," Chloe breathed, finally lifting her hand and covering the one he had over her stomach. "I can't even think of another option," Especially when she found out and he'd been gone and then not knowing if he'd come back. This kid would have been all that was left of him. Thankfully, that wasn't the case anymore, but she was already attached to him or her.

His smile widened at that and wordlessly he dipped his head and kissed her softly on the mouth. "Is that why you were up? Do you have morning sickness? Should I call Emil and have him come over to check on you?"

"Yes, that's why," she told him, smiling softly at his sudden enthusiasm, "I didn't want to wake you and I... haven't seen a doctor yet because I wanted to wait for you, but I think it can wait until we're home?"

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly, searching her eyes. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah," Chloe breathed, lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck, "yeah, I'm feeling a lot better now."

He relaxed. A little. Nodding, he kissed her forehead gently. "Can I get you anything? Do you want to go back to sleep?"

She took a deep breath and watched him for a moment, "are you still tired?"

"A little. But if you need to rest, I'll stay with you."

"I'm okay, Ollie." She assured him, then pulled back and reached for his hands, "but you've been through a lot, so why don't we lay down for a while longer?"   
Oliver slid his fingers through hers, letting her pull him gently toward the master bedroom once more, keeping his eyes on hers.

Chloe squeezed his hand slightly then let go of it as she walked around the bed, to her side of it and got back down under the covers.

He did the same, wincing a little as he shifted to be closer to her once he was in the bed. He draped his arm around her waist protectively, kissing her cheek as he closed his eyes.

She wrapped her arm around him and shifted closer too, linking her legs with his and keeping her eyes on his face. It was a huge relief that he knew the truth, she'd been dying to tell him since she saw him at the church, but she had to make sure he was okay first and she didn't want him to associate her telling him with anything bad since she knew it was a moment both of them would remember for a long time.

And she knew she _would_ remember the way he got excited about it almost instantly, the way his eyes sparkled and the way he smiled. They had never talked about kids before, they had really only been married for a little over three months and he'd been gone for nearly a whole month of that time and even before that, their relationship had never been conventional. But she'd known he'd be happy about it. Oliver had lost his family when he was very young and this was his chance to have one again, regardless of how much it scared her, she knew that there was nothing they couldn't do as long as they were together.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, rubbing her back gently. "And whatever you need, whenever you need it...you name it and it's yours." He kissed the tip of her nose.

Chloe smiled softly, sniffing and only then realizing she was teary, her arm tightened around him, "ditto," she said quietly, her chest tightening a little, "and I'm really sorry I wasn't here when you got out," she told him, she'd been feeling guilty about it since the darkness made him say those things to her and while she knew he hadn't been in control, it might have been bothering him subconsciously.

"It's okay," he said quietly, pressing another kiss to her cheek. "You don't need to apologize, Chloe."

"I just want to explain," she told him quietly, brushing her nose against his. "I don't want you to think I didn't want to be here."

"You were working on things from there." He gazed at her, his hand moving to cup her cheek. "There was only so much here that could be done anyway."

"I was," she assured him, leaning against his hand and pressing her lips to his palm but keeping her eyes on him, "and at first I thought I was sick and I didn't want to worry Lois more than she already was, but when I found out what was going on I didn't..." she took a deep breath, "I didn't want to be around anyone and have them figure it out because I wanted you to be the first to know."

His expression softened at that. "Oh," he whispered. He paused for a moment. "Chloe, if I said anything to you when I wasn't...myself...I'm really sorry."

"I'm not worried about that," she told him sincerely, "I just wanted you to know, because I _wanted_ to be here and make sure you were okay."

"I know," he murmured. "And I've never doubted it, or you." He drew in a breath. "It messed with my mind."

"I know it did," she said quietly, brushing her nose against his, "and it will probably be a while before you can fully shake it off."

He shut his eyes at that, nodding a little.

"And I'll do my best to help you through it, I'm sorry I wasn't in bed this morning," she said sincerely.

"You couldn't really help it," he said softly.

"You did look like you were sleeping peacefully," she murmured, smiling and lifting her hand to his cheek, brushing her fingers lightly over his skin.

"I was at first," he admitted, relaxing a little more beneath her touch.

"Do you think you can get back to it?" She murmured, kissing his cheek then the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe." He shifted a little closer to her, kissing her back softly.

Chloe kissed him back just as softly, brushing her fingers through his hair and smiling slightly as she relaxed too.

"You're my rock. You know that, right?" he whispered.

Her chest tightened at that and she took a deep breath then nodded slightly, "and you're mine too, Ollie. Even if I know I'm not great about letting you know just how much I need you."

Oliver kissed her forehead, then rested his head beside hers once again. "Sleep."

"You too," she murmured, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, shifting until her head was between his shoulder and neck and she was as close to him as she could be.

His arm wrapped around her back once more. "Love you both," he whispered as he shut his eyes.

Her chest felt incredibly warm at that and she took a deep breath, "love you too," she whispered, smiling softly and brushing her fingers slowly over his back until she fell asleep.

He smiled, as well, drifting toward slumber and feeling a lot lighter than he had in days.


End file.
